Sale 74: The Westpex Auction

Early California Postal History

Lot
876

"off the coast of California 27 Jany 1830", dateline on folded letter from Scottish trader Stephen Anderson to Messrs. Fredk. Huth & Co. at London, England, carried around Cape Horn by the Funchal, ship's captain John Hart added a note upon his June 4 arrival at Rio de Janeiro: "I have to inform you of the Funchal putting into this port after a fine passage of 121 days from California. The hides are in excellent condition as far as can be seen under the deck where they have settled. We shall leave this in 8 days for London and hope to have a quick passage.", letter then sent by Falmouth packet Calypso from Rio de Janeiro that departed Jun. 18th 1830 to Falmouth so that it would arrive before the Funchal, London F.P.O. (8.5) arrival backstamp and manuscript "3/6" rating for 2s7d packet rate plus 11d inland postage; fold wear and large tear, light staining, Fine.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE EARLY MEXICAN CALIFORNIA LETTER TO ENGLAND.

Stephen Anderson, who remained in California from 1828 to 1832, was writing about a shipment of 16,400 hides that he was sending to London on the "Funchal", and asked Huth & Co. to obtain insurance for the shipment.

Illustrated: "Mails of the Westward Expansion, 1803 to 1861" by Walske and Frajola as fig. 4-9 on p. 58.

Lot
877

1844-45 Schooner "California" Accounting, four blue pages, includes entry of "1844 July 18, To Cost of the Ship at Auction, $12,230", and section with "Sales of Hides etc., received pr. ship California" with 5,001 hides purchased Oct. 31st by Geo. Bowen alone, total net due on Feb. 5, 1845 was $45,946.81, etc., Very Fine.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.

AN IMPORTANT ACCOUNTING DOCUMENT OF THE PIONEER SCHOONER "CALIFORNIA" OPERATING ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST IN THE 1840S.